January 25, 2009 - The number of smokers lighting up in Alberta is at an all-time low, according to new Health Canada statistics that show the provincial rate has dropped to its lowest level since the department began releasing figures a decade ago. The rate of Albertans aged 15 and over who smoke is 19 per cent, down from 21 per cent in 2007, according to figures released this week for the first half of 2008. When Health Canada began releasing statistics in 1999, 26 per cent of Albertans were smokers. That percentage has dropped almost steadily, barring a slight increase in 2001.